Historical prisoner exchange: 1,000 soldiers are home!

Historical prisoner exchange: 1,000 soldiers are home!

Istanbul, Türkei - The last major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine took place on May 25, 2025 and marked the greatest exchange since the beginning of the war with the release of 303. A total of 1,000 prisoners have been released on both sides since Friday, which underlines the dimension of this action. The third and last stage of the exchange was necessary to master the large number of those affected and took place on Sunday after 307 prisoners had already been released the day before. The first part of the exchange that started on Friday also included 390 people. This agreement was made in Istanbul during the first direct discussions between Russia and Ukraine since 2022. These discussions led to this unprecedented exchange, which was described as a significant action by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

context and reactions

Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj confirmed the goal of bringing back all prisoners and described this return as a common state task. Among the released soldiers were 273, who had been captured in the Donetsk area, while others came from Cherson, Saporischschja, Kharkiw and Luhansk. The soldiers viewed are members of the Ukrainian armed forces, the border troops and the National Guard. Some of them have been in Russian captivity since 2022. As part of the exchange, the Russian soldiers who also returned received psychological and medical support in Belarus before they were brought to the Russian Federation.

During the exchange for many, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine remains tense. Analysts report on a massive troop collection of Russia on the border with the northeastern Tekrainian region of Charkiw, which indicates upcoming military activities. More than 50,000 Russian soldiers were brought together in the region, which illustrates the possibility of a new advance along the front line. Experts express themselves concerned about the potential offensive and examine the strategic reserves of Russia, which would be necessary for such an advance. Military analyst Prof. Michael Clarke found that the Russian troops may not have sufficient strategic reserves.

The situation in the Ukraine conflict

Despite the progress of prisoner exchange, the war continues. According to reports, at least 15 people were injured in a drone attack on Kyiv. The night before, 250 drone and 14 ballistic rocket attacks were held, in which military destinations were attacked in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha criticized that Russia has not yet sent a prospect of peace memorandum, and Russia is planning to present Ukraine a declaration of intent to resolve the conflict in the coming days.

These developments illustrate the continuing tensions and challenges with which both countries are faced. Nevertheless, the prisoner exchange remains a ray of hope in the difficult location and symbolizes at least one step towards de -escalation in this lengthy conflict.